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The contestant facing backlash from fans was Tamika Starr, a singer who works with the armed forces from Triangle, Virginia, who faced off against Max Nussenbaum from Brooklyn, New York, and Rebecca Levin, from San Diego, California.
Starr performed well throughout the episode, which she ultimately won with $16,400, just pipping Nussenbaum, who finished second with $15,250. This sent her through to the Bonus Round for a chance to add even more money to her overall winnings.
The Virginia native had a choice between three categories, Person, Thing, or What Are You Doing? She decided on the latter and was shown a two-word puzzle that read: “_ _ _ _ N _ / _ R _ _ N _.”
With four additional letters still to choose, Starr had a chance to fill in a significant portion of the puzzle to help her solve it. As long-time Wheel viewers know, the majority of the time, the What Are You Doing? puzzle starts with a word ending in -ING; therefore, it makes no sense for a contestant to waste their picks on those letters.
Unfortunately, Starr didn’t get the memo, as she selected the letters “I, G, C, and D.” This gave her a puzzle that then read: “_ _ _ I N G / _ R _ _ N _.”
The letter picks didn’t help make anything clearer, and Starr was unable to work out “Joking Around,” meaning she lost out on an extra $40,000.
Many viewers found Starr’s letter picks to be massively frustrating and took to social media to share their reactions.
“Nothing makes me more angry on this show than… Someone saying I & G on a “What Are You Doing” final puzzle,” wrote one fan on the Wheel of Fortune Reddit forum.
“I SCREAMED at the TV tonight. When they pick I and G and lose, I scream, “Serves you right!!!”” said another.
“I’m so glad I’m not the only one,” another added.
Another explained, “Called a gerund phrase: Washing the dog, Making breakfast, Running errands … this has bugged me too! Of course, in What Are You Doing, the first word will end in I N G.”
“Ha! Last night I said I and G are such a waste of letters!” said another.
“Any other letters except THE ONES YOU ALREADY KNOW ARE GUARANTEED TO BE THERE!! That’s why it’s a total waste to call I and G,” wrote one commenter.
However, there were a few who defended Star’s decision, with one user pointing out, “It is possible these letters appear more than once.”
Another agreed, writing, “I think sometimes WoF chooses a final puzzle with multiple Gs because they aren’t expecting people to pick G. Wasn’t there a final What Are You Doing puzzle that had the word “giggling” in it? I think it’s fine to pick G just in case.”
One user claimed that there are occasions where the What Are You Doing? puzzle doesn’t end with an -ING. “Including today, WAYD? has been chosen in syndication 232 times. 73 of them had no additional I or G, which is about 31%,” they shared.
What do you think about the -ING drama? What letters would you select for the What Are You Doing? category? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
